Feed water heater



June 26, 1934. SHMER 1,964,710

FEED IATER HEATER Filed Jan. 21. 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR John M. SAimfl June 26, 1934. s m 1,964,710

FEED WATER HEATER Filed Jan. 21. 193?. 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR \Jol'vn M Shims T BW) 5%PMBM J1me 3 J. M. SHIMER FEED WATER HEATER Filed Jan. 21. 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MSQ kwmm wmkg n3 NE m5 Patented June 26, 1934 FEED WATER HEATER John M. Shimer, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to Wilson- Snyder Manufacturing Corporation,-

Braddock, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 21, 1932, Serial No. 587,931

6 Claims.

My inventionrelates to the open-type of feed- Water heaters, such heaters being employed for preheating the water supplied to a boiler.

One object of my invention is to provide such a feed water heating system which is adapted especially for use with portable boilers, the combination of parts being compact so that the heating system may be readily transported from place to place, as for instance in connection with drilling in oil fields. A further object of my invention is to provide a feed water heater which shall itself operate in improved fashion to preheat the water supplied to a boiler.

In the drawings in which for purposes of illustrating my invention and not as limiting the same, I have shown one embodiment which the same may assume,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an open-type feed water heating system embodying principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the heating chamber of the feed water heater itself;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the feed water heater, showing the same mounted on the pumping cylinders of the hot and cold water pumps;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the steam end of the hot and cold water pumps;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in vertical section through the check valve and back pressure valve of Figs. 2 and 3; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic drawing illustrating in one view the general arrangements of various passages and channels of the feed Water heater and associated pumping means of the present invention.

In the feed water heater as shown in the drawings, the cold water is delivered to the heating chamber past a valve which causes the water to be sprayed into the heating chamber. Where the head of water in the water supply is sufiiciently high to overcome the back pressure of the exhaust steam used for heating the water, plus the pressure drop across the spray valve, no pump is required in order to force the cold water past this valve. Ordinarily, however, such a head of water is not available; and accordingly I provide a cold water pump for carrying out this function.

From the feed water heater, the heated water is discharged into a boiler; and for this purpose I provide a hot water pump which has the requisite capacity for forcing the hot water into the boiler against the steam pressure prevailing in the boiler.

My improved feed waterheating system is intended to be used particularly with portable outfits so that compactness and ease of transportation are important features. Accordingly, I arrange the hot and cold water pumps side by side, with the pumping cylinders parallel and the steam cylinders parallel. On the pumps I mount the feed water heater, thus bringing the entire system within a small compass.

I have considerably simplified the manner of conducting the water from the time it flows to the cold water pump to the time the hot water is discharged from the hot water pump. This simplicity is due to a large extent to the mounting of the feed Water heater on the pumping cylinders of the two pumps. The inlet to the cold water pump and the discharge from the hot water pump are at different levels, but the directions of flow are substantially parallel.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, the cold water pump 7 is arranged parallel to the hot water pump 8. The steam cylinder 9 of the cold water pump is arranged parallel to the steam cylinder 11 of the hot Water pump; and in similar fashion, the pumping cylinder 10 of the cold water pump is arranged parallel to the pumping cylinder 12 of the hot water pump. As is evident from Fig. 4, the steam cylinder of the hot water pump is considerably larger than the steam cylinder of the cold water pump. The cold water pump is thus provided with a less powerful actuating cylinder; and the cold water pump will stall if its discharge pressure becomes too large. This characteristic of the cold water pump is made use of for rendering the same inoperative when the pumping of cold water into the heating chamber of the feed water heater is to be temporarily discontinued.

The pump cylinders 10 and 12 are preferably cast en bloc, thus securing solidity of construction. On this cylinder block is mounted the feed water heater 13 itself. The two pumps are mounted on skids 14 so that the entire feed water heating system may be readily transported from place to place. The cold water. enters through an inlet 15 into the suction valve pots 16. The cold water discharged from the pump cylinder 10 passes from the discharge valve pots 17 through a discharge manifold 18 to a vertically extending conduit 19 connected with the feed water heater 13. The water which has been heated in the heater 13 is withdrawn from the well 20 through a suction pipe 21. This hot water enters the pump cylinder 12 having first passed through the suction valve pots 22. From the'cylinder 12, the hot water is pumped to the discharge manifold 24 by way of the discharge valve pots 25. From the manifold 24 the hot water is conveyed to the boiler through a conduit 26. A clean-out plug 27 is located at the bottom of the suction pipe 21 so that the entire heater can be conveniently flushed out. It will be noted that there is a direct flow of water into and out of the heating system, the inlet 15 being at a lower level than the discharge 26, and the directions of flow in the two being substantially parallel. This makes it much simpler to insert my improved feed water heating system in the line leading to the boiler. In other words, where cold water has previously been employed for replenishing the supply in the boiler,

it is necessary merely to break the supply line and insert my improved feed water heating system in the supply line, the inlet 15 and the discharge 26 of the system being substantially parallel.

For convenience in aligning the pumps, the two steam cylinders 9 and 11 are preferably cast in: tegral with their cradles 30. These cradles are connected to the pumping cylinders by bolts 31. A steam line 33 (see Fig. 4) supplies steam for actuating the pistons in the two cylinders 9 and 11. A branch pipe 34 controlled by a throttle valve 35 supplies steam to the valve chest 36 of the cylinder 9; and a branch pipe 38 controlled by a throttle valve 39 supplies steam to the steam chest 40 of the cylinder 11. Since the simplex valve gear for controlling the reciprocations of the pistons in the two cylinders is well known in the art, it is not described in detail herein. The pilot valve motion in each case is derived from the piston rod connecting the piston in the steam cylinder with the pump cylinder. The piston rod 42 of the cold water pump is shown with a crosshead 43 mounted thereon. A lever 44 and link 45 transmit reciprocatory motion to the valve gear of the cold water pump. The exhaust manifold 46 is common to the two steam cylinders 9 and 11. The exhaust steam is piped from this manifold through a pipe 47 to the feed water heater.

The feed water heater itself includes a casing 50 which surrounds a heating chamber 51. A balanced valve 53 is held in position in this chamber by screws 54. The inlet 55 to this valve is connected to the upper end of the vertically extending conduit 19. Merely as one illustrative form of valve proper, I have shown a spool valve proper 5'7 which controls one or more passages 58. The outlet 59 from the valve is connected to a cold water chamber 60 separated from the heating chamber 51 by a partition 62. A relief valve 63 is connected to the cold water chamber at its highest point, and permits discharge of excessive pressure so as to prevent damage, should the cold water pump fail to stall.

From the cold water chamber 60 the water is sprayed by a spray valve 64. The spray valve, as shown in Fig. 2, is constructed as a unitary assembly. This assembly may be removed for repairs or for replacement of parts by removing the dome-shaped cap 65. The valve proper seats by upward movement, being spring-pressed to seated position. The seat is beveled, and the valve proper is correspondingly beveled so that a coneshaped spray is produced, as indicated by the broken lines 66.

The water in the heating chamber 51 is automatically maintained at approximately the level 6'7, shown in Fig. 2 by a float 68 cooperating with the valve proper 57. The float 68 is fixed to a flexible rod 69 extending from the end of a lever 70 pivoted at 71 to a cage 72. The stem 73 of the valve proper 57 is pivoted to the lever '70 at '74. A shield '75 projects over the float 68 and protects the same from the force of the water spraying into the heating chamber 51, so as to prevent undue fluctuation of the valve 53.

The exhaust steam conduit '77 is connected to an opening 78 in the casing 50. Steam flowing into the heating chamber from the conduit '77 is in part deflected upwardly by a bafile 79. A certain proportion of the steam should be brought directly in contact with the cold water sprayed through the vlave 64; and accordingly, I provide holes 80 in the baflie 79 for admitting steam to the inside and to the bottom of the cone-shaped spray of cold water indicated by the broken lines 66.

I prefer to automatically control the supply of steam to the heating chamber 51. This is particularly necessary, since the pressiu'e of the exhaust steam may vary considerably. Moreover, the cold water pump may force too much water into the chamber 51, if the automatic valve 53 does not function properly. In order to prevent the steam pressure in the chamber 51 exceeding a predetermined amount, I provide a back pressure valve 84, which permits such excess steam pressure to pass from the conduit 77 to a vent 81. When the exhaust steam pressure is below the predetermined'amount, this valve is held closed by a weight 82. On the other hand, should the exhaust steam pressure exceed the predetermined amount, the valve will permit discharge of steam to the vent 81.

Should the pressure within the chamber 51 exceed the pressure in the conduit 77, water might be forced along this conduit. Accordingly, I provide a check valve 83 for preventing such return flow along the conduit 77.

Exhaust steam from certain sources is apt to carry impurities. For instance, the exhaust steam from an engine may carry with it lubricating oil or the like. Such impurities collecting on the surface of the hot water in the chamber 51 are objectionable, since they cause foaming or other unsatisfactory boiler operation upon reaching the boiler. Accordingly, I provide a blow-out valve 85 connected with an opening through the casing 50 adjacent the normal water valve 67. Preferably, this valve is arranged just below the normal hot water level; and from time to time, the valve may be opened to blow off the impurities collecting on the surface of the hot water. i I

When cold water and steam make contact, a certain amount of permanent gas is released; and the accumulation of such permanent gases is objectionable. By permanent gases, I mean such as oxygen, nitrogen or the like which do not condense by cooling to room temperature. In order to vent such permanent gases from'the chamber 51, I release the same to the atmosphere through a vent fitting 86 which is entered in the casing 50 so as to communicate with the chamber 51 adjacent its highest point. This fitting 86 has a small hole 87 in its end, which functions in the customary manner topermit the passage of the permanent gases without permitting the excessive escape of steam.

Removable plates or doors 88 and 89 are provided on opposite sides of the casing 50. Through these doors the entire heater may be readily flushed out, the clean-out plug 2'7 being first removed so as to permit flushing down through the discharge manifold 24 and out through the opening.

The arrangement of parts in my improved feed water heating system is of importance since,

' obtained at the by mounting the feed water heater itself on the pumps, a compact arrangement results. Accordingly, my improved system may be compactly arranged on skids for transportation from one location to another.

The advantage of compactness has not been sacrifice of flexibility of operation. My improved feed water heater has the advantage that the cold water pump is automatically controlled in its operation by the water level in the heating chamber 51. Should the valve proper 57 be closed by the float 68 due to a rise of the water level to the level shown in Fig. 2, the passage through the valve 53 is closed, and the cold water pump stalls due to the increased back pressure. The feed water heater may accordingly be so operated as to intermittently and automatically pump cold water into the heating chamber 51 so as to maintain the level of the hot water approximately constant. On the other hand, the operation of the hot water pump is independent of the operation of the cold water pump, and the feed water may be pumped into the boiler as required. It is not necessary to operate the pumps in unison, since they are independently actuated by separate simplex steam cylinders and valve gears.

In the embodiment shown, the steam ends of the two pumps are so constructed that the steam cylinder of the cold water pump is relatively small. If, for uniformity in parts, it is desired to make the two steam cylinders 01 the same diameter, a reducing valve may be inserted in the pipe 34. so as to reduce the pressure on the piston in the steam end or" the cold water pump.

The distribution of the steam entering the heating chamber 51 is also of importance. By my improved arrangement, a portion of this steam is deflected upwardly, so as to spread throughout the chamber, where it may impart its heat to the water and be condensed. A portion of the steam, however, is brought directly into contact with the cold water sprayed through the valve 64. An efiicient transfer of heat is thus accomplished.

The flow of steam through the conduit 77 is under automatic control. This has the distinct advantage that the danger of excessive pressure within the casing 50 is removed. Moreover, the backward flow of cold water through the conduit 77 to the engine or other source of exhaust steam is prevented by the check valve 83. These features of safety are of considerable advantage.

Other features of my invention, such as the skimming olf of impurities from the surface of the hot water and the discharge of permanent gases from the heating chamber, have been dealt with in the body of the specification.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the same is not restricted to the details of construction or the arrangement of the apparatus shown, but may be variously modifled within the contemplation of the invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a feed water heater, a steam actuated pump for pumping cold water into the heater and a steam actuated pump for pumping hot water from the heater, each pump having a steam cylinder and a pumping cylinder, the steam cylinder of the cold water pump being of smaller diameter than the steam cylinder of the hot water pump, said feed water heater comprising a float controlled valve for regulating the inflow of cold water to the feed water heater from the cold water pump 2. In combination, a feed water heater comprising a float controlled valve for regulating inflow of cold water to the feed water heater, a steam actuated pump for pumping hot water from the heater, and a pump for pumping cold water into the heater, said last mentioned pump comprising a steam actuated prime mover of such relatively low power as to stall when the inflow of cold water to the feed water heater is interrupted by said regulating valve.

3. In combination, a feed water heater, a pump for pumping cold water into the heater, a float controlled valve in said heater to regulate the inflow of cold water to the said heater, a pump for pumping hot water from the heater, prime mover means to actuate said pumps independently of each other, the two pumps being positioned side by side with the longitudinal axes of the pumping cylinders of each lying substantially in the same horizontal plane, the said heater being mounted upon and carried by said pumps with the cold water inlet of the cold water pump and the hot water outlet of the hot water pump disposed at different horizontal levels but extending to provide substantially parallel directions of flow.

4. In the combination defined and claimed in claim 3, said cold water pump and said hot water pump comprised of a single casting, the pumping cylinders of said pumps being disposed in said casting in parallel spaced relationship with their longitudinal axes lying in substantially the same horizontal plane.

5. In combination, a unitary pump structure and a feed water heater, said pump structure comprising a single casting containing a cold water pump and a hot water pump, the longitudinal axes of the pumping cylinders of said pumps being disposed in said casting in parallel spaced relationship in substantially the same horizontal plane, a cold water inlet and a cold water outlet to the cold water pump, a hot water inlet and hot water outlet to the hot water pump, the said cold water inlet and the said hot water outlet being disposed at different horizontal levels but extending to provide substantially parallel directions of ow, and the said cold water outlet and hot wa ter inlet being disposed in the top of said casting and said feed water heater having a cold water inlet and a hot water outlet disposed in the bottom thereof in a position adapting the said heater to be mounted upon the said unitary pump struc-- ture to be supported thereby.

6. A feed water heater comprising a casing enclosing a heating chamber, means to conduct steam into said chamber adjacent the top thereof, means to spray cold water from the top of said chamber into the said chamber to contact with said steam, means to discharge heated water from the bottom of said chamber, and a float controlled valve regulating the flow of cold water into said chamber, and battle means disposed interiorly in said chamber and in front of the steam inlet thereof to deflect a portion of said steam upwardly and inwardly into the chamber, said bafile being provided with perforations to permit a portion of said steam to pass therethrough downwardly into said chamber.

JOHN M. SHIMER. 

